1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to clothing accessories, and in particular, to belt buckles. The invention also relates to curios for devotees of potation. Specifically, the invention concerns a novel belt buckle with a holder adapted for carrying beverage containers that retracts into the belt buckle when not in use so as to be hidden from view.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Belt buckles that also function as holders for cups or other beverage containers, such as cans or bottles, are known in the art. For example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0090136, filed in the name of Stowell et al., discloses a belt buckle formed of a foldable cup-holder of common design. The belt buckle/cup-holder includes a horizontal base for supporting the weight of the beverage and a horizontally-oriented pair of rigid upper arms for capturing and laterally supporting the beverage container. The lower base and upper arms are each pivotably connected to vertical midsection. The upper arms fold down adjacent to the midsection, and the base folds up parallel to the midsection. The base covers the arms and forms the front surface of the belt buckle when the cup-holder function is not used.
While the Stowell et al. belt buckle/cup-holder is suitable for performing its dual role of holding up a wearer's trousers and keeping the wearer's liquid refreshment close at hand, wherever the wearer's whereabouts, the traditional cup-holder elements are difficult to arrange into an aesthetically appealing design. For example, the front and back plates of the Stowell belt buckle include lips about the perimeter that provide spacing between the plates to accommodate the large upper arms, which results in a thick, box-like buckle.
3. Identification of Objects of the Invention
A primary object of the invention is to provide a belt buckle with a retractable cup-holder that is virtually indistinguishable from a typical ornamental belt buckle, such as the popular western style belt buckle, when the cup-holder feature is not in use, so as to increase the cosmetic appeal of the device.
Another object of the invention is to provide a lateral cup support member that is self-propelled into a horizontal cup-holding position so as to achieve a more rapid deployment of the cup-holder and to prevent the cup support member from inadvertently folding down into the stowed position when the cup is temporarily removed from the holder, such as when sipping the beverage.
Another object of the invention is to provide a belt buckle/cup-holder with a latching mechanism for the base plate that securely holds the base plate in an upward folded position when the cup-holder is stowed, that easily unlatches for deploying the cup-holder, and that is fully hidden from view when the cup-holder is stowed.